Grief at homes of pilots, officers

 
Besides Reddy, the t

win-engined Bell-430 helicopter flown by pilots Group Captain S K Bhatia and Captain M S Reddy was also carrying his Principal Secretary P Subramanyam and Chief Security Officer ASC John Wesley.

A pall of gloom descended on Wesley’s residence as scores of relatives, friends and colleagues of the police officer started gathering at his residence in Shantinagar Colony after hearing the tragic news. Ministers P Sudarshan Reddy and Konda Surekha also visited his home. Wesley (44) is survived by wife, a 10-year-old son and a six-year-old daughter.

The police officer’s neighbours at Jyothi Sai Ganesh apartments where Wesley resides described him as “soft spoken” and always smiling. The Indian Air Force personnel made a beeline for the house of Group Captain Bhatia, who was Reddy’s personal pilot, at the Sylvan Greens Township here to console the bereaved family. Bhatia’s wife is reported to be in a state of shock and not allowing even close relatives to speak to her. Two constables from Bollarum Police Station have been posted to control the crowd.

Rural Development Minister V Vasanthakumar and MLC Indrasen Reddy visited the bereaved family. Besides his wife, Bhatia is also survived by his two sons. Co-pilot M S Reddy’s residence at Vidyanagar was also a scene of gloom as his family members were in deep shock.

Wesley, a native of Ongole in Prakasam district, was selected as a deputy superintendent of police after appearing for a group-1 examination in 1998.

A post-graduate from Madras University, he completed his law from Osmania University. Before taking over as chief security officer of the chief minister three months ago, he worked as an additional DCP of a task force. Wesley also worked as ACP of Rajendranagar division under the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate and was earlier an ASP at the chief minister’s home district Kadapa.